Morning coffee

Complaints are pouring in by the dozen (I wish) that I have failed to update my blog with accounts of a recent trip to the rainy Southwest. However, my sister has the photos so until she sends them my way that shall have to wait.

In the meantime I’ll recommend a coffee to y’all. I must start with the disclaimer that my friend, a Barista Guild Member and director of Coffee Quality at Murky Coffee, states that, “No good coffee comes from Bolivia”. Maybe it is true, but I don’t buy it. One of the world’s highest grown coffees, Bolivian Anjilanaka, a direct trade, organic offering by Intelligentsia (one of America’s finest roasters) caught my eye this spring by it’s description of walnut, licorice, and vanilla flavors. I think it was the walnut and licorice that got me, I’m mad for both. I ignored my friend's advice and purchased a pound of the stuff, something I’d wanted to do before, but previous attempts were derailed by temptations of Rwandan and Columbian coffee.

Many of you may scoff at the idea of coffee with such luxurious descriptions. But with single origin, high quality coffees, it is no laughing matter. Okay, maybe it is, but have a sip and taste the difference yourself. If one brews fine coffee properly and has a decent pallet, the subtle differences are very apparent. Granted, I think people go overboard describing coffees as having a hint of buttered toast, but the general principal is well-grounded and does add more depth and vibrancy to life. I will still mock those championing single origin chocolate’s mango hints, but with coffee, it is as true as with wine. Meanwhile…back in reality.

After a 3 month wait, I boiled the water, ground my beans and brewed a press pot. The first cup or two were unremarkable, decent flavor, but no body. It was too thin. Yesterday, however, I tried again and it tasted so good I greedily sucked it down. This time the flavors really came out in rich, deep, and sugary walnut. So much so that I felt as if I was drinking a liquid nut pastry, and this with no sugar or milk added. I drank a whole french press on my lonesome because of this sweet, sweet flavor. Today, I detect hints of melon and maybe just a little vanilla edge as well. It may not have the notoriety of other South American beans, but it is a wonderful coffee, and one which forces us not to write off all Andean coffees.